Eclipse (character)
Eclipse is the codename for a special Midnight operative. This soldier, a female Briton by the name of Cassandra Eterna, was critically wounded and underwent a transformation to become the mysterious and brutal soldier known throughout the world. Cassandra was born in London and her parents died not long after as Exodus attacked the city. The orphaned baby was picked up by a Midnight soldier and grew up learning the ropes of combat, becoming a loyal soldier to the Midnight. As time went on, tales of her heroism became legendary and she was designated a Hero. Once the Dimensional War began and the Paladin Project was initiated, Cassandra was one of the first to undergo the training required to become one of the soldiers now dubbed the future of armed conflict. After an event known as Operation: Total Eclipse, she became known as Eclipse herself as the last survivor of the relentless Exodus raids on the factory her team was sent to protect. As the Midnight's chances in the Dimensional War wavered her loyalty did not. She remained an extremely loyal and confident soldier despite the numerous wounds and losses she would endure. In the end, she disregarded any sense of love or friendship as at many moment those she cared about could be killed. The Midnight were forced to execute a plan known as the Great Retreat into Equestria and Eclipse was the first armed soldier to set foot in Equestria, paving the way for millions of misplaced and wounded soldiers. There, she led the defence against Exodus and successfully held the Rift. The Midnight initiated the "Royal Paladin Project" and in doing so, encouraged Eclipse to sign up as the first of this new line. She agreed and underwent minor surgery and extensive training regimes, becoming the first Royal Paladin unit. She was given a team of fellow Royals to lead, which she did with extreme effectiveness. This transformation set her on the path to become one of the most feared individuals to ever live, as she brandished her Aura Blade with great finesse. The Midnight were soon faced with a great threat known as Tirek, who single-handedly wiped out two platoons of Midnight units. Eclipse was tasked with destroying him by any means necessary. During her attack, Eclipse was critically wounded by Tirek but managed to crawl into his source of power, a gigantic Magical beam. This imbued with Magic and she became incredibly powerful, with enough energy to imprison Tirek inside a gem which would then be gifted to Union Strike. However, her wounds soon claimed the life of Cassandra Eterna. Cassandra woke up a week later to a surprise, as her entire body was now mechanical excluding her head. She was told by Union Strike that her immense loyalty had marked her as the first to become Emancipated, which had also raised her from death, and her new body would become the norm for fellow Royal Paladins. Her body was still infused with Magic, allowing her to use it willingly, and her strength was greatly improved. Cassandra requested her fate be rewritten. She deemed Cassandra Eterna was dead and now she was known simply as Eclipse. Due to her position as the first and most effective of Royal Paladins, she became known as Grand Master Eclipse. Her horrifically scarred face was hidden by her helmet permanently, and she now had little organic presence excluding her face. From then on, she became a dangerous idol of death and destruction as well as the true leader of the Royal Paladins. This granted her the title of Grand Master. As she became this figure, she grew dark and demeaning to others. While she respected her subordinates and her fellow leaders in the newly-formed Midnight Coalition of Equestria, she was far more connected to her brothers and sisters in the Royal Paladin ranks. The Dimensional War raged on as Eclipse became one of Exodus's most feared threats. She aided Union Strike against Elijah Kane during the Final Battle, ending up sliced in half at the waist by Elijah's orange Aura Blade. This injury was not fatal because of her cybernetics, and after Elijah's death at the hands of Union Strike, she was taken back to Everfree Bunker for treatment and repairs, from which she recovered flawlessly in hours.